The Curse of Baron Roderick
by Bottou-chan
Summary: Neon's long-lost uncle leaves his estate to her; she, Joker, and Raiha go to claim it in this cliche-ridden mystery! How many can YOU spot?
1. The Curse of Baron Roderick

  

**The Curse of Baron Roderick**

**Chapter One**

**[Bottou-chan][1]**

**[My Page][2]**

  
 Author's Note: This is an attempt to write a cliche-ridden fanfic! In this chapter, you can spot the long-lost uncle, the family fortune, the old manor in the middle of nowhere, the faithful family servants, and many more! 

* * *

"Oi, Neon-han," said Joker, shuffling through the day's mail. "You got a letter."

"Is that so strange, someone would want to write to me?" asked Neon, removing it from his grasp. Her eyebrow raised slightly as she read the return address. 

"Anything of interest?" asked Raiha, glancing up from his book. 

"It's from Ireland," explained Joker. 

"It's from my uncle's lawyer," explained Neon, skimming over the contents of the letter. "It seems my Uncle, Roderick O'Sullivan, has died, and I was his only heir. The estate has been left to me, on condition that I come and claim it." 

"Roderick O'Sullivan? How Japanese is that?" asked Joker, scratching his head. 

"Baka! My father was Japanese, but my Mom was Irish. How many Japanese are natural redheads?" 

"I thought you dyed it—" 

"Aho!" snarled Neon. "Of course not!" 

Raiha refrained from commenting on the issue. He'd thought it had been dyed, too. How else would you explain the front strands? Instead, he asked, "What happens if you don't go and claim it?" 

"Then the estate gets divided evenly between his five faithful servants," said Neon. Tossing the letter aside, she added scornfully, "How cliché is that." 

"Faithful servants?" Joker's ears perked up. "So… your uncle had actual okane?" 

"Wheelbarrows of it," Neon assured him. "Some of it's old money, but he was a pretty sharp investor. He helped renovate the family manor about five years ago. It had been crumbling into nothing, and he even rebuilt parts of it." 

"Wow… sounds like fun," said Joker. "You're going to go, right?" 

"Why should I?" asked Neon. "It's over there… I'm content to stay here, with my Kurei-sama. What do I need with a manor house, and an estate, and the gardens, and the old art, and the servants, and the bank account—well, maybe I could use the bank account and buy myself a new wardrobe—" 

"If you don't want it, give it to me," suggested Joker. 

Raiha had picked up the letter and was looking over its contents. "But you can't pick and choose what you want," he reasoned. "It's either all or nothing. Now, there's nothing to stop you from going, accepting everything, keeping the money, and giving everything else away—or selling it—or whatever, but unless you want to give up an easy 15.3 million pounds, I'd suggest you buy yourself a little plane ticket sooner than later." 

"What's 15.3 million divided by three?" asked Joker thoughtfully, ruffling through the newspaper for the exchange rate from pounds to yen. Catching sight of Kurei standing in the doorway, watching the proceedings, he hastily amended, "What's $10.4 million divided by four?" 

"5.1 million and about 3.8 million, respectively," said Kurei in his cold voice. "Neon, you may have two weeks off to put your business in order."

"Kurei-sama—" 

"And I can't let her go off around the world by herself," said Joker, grinning impishly. "Kurei-han, I'll go with her, to look out for her… comfort her if she gets lonely—" 

Neon punched him half-heartedly. "Baka!" she snarled. Why did Joker have to continue with this embarrassing fantasy of his in front of Kurei? Joker _knew they were together! _

"Perhaps I should go along, to act as chaperone," suggested Raiha tactfully. "Or, at least, keep them from killing each other." 

Kurei gazed impassively at the three. "As you wish," he said. There was nothing pressing happening at the moment… he could spare them two weeks' vacation. After all, they were his faithful few and deserved some time to themselves. 

"Kurei-sama, don't you wish to come with us? Ireland's very pretty," suggested Neon, her eyes shining. "It's very nice and green, and lots of trees and hills—" 

"If I wanted trees and hills, I'd go to Hokkaido," remarked Kurei coolly. "I'll stay home and keep an eye on things."

"Arigatou, Kurei-sama," murmured Raiha, knowing that perhaps Kurei might welcome a vacation from their antics just as much as they would welcome a vacation from their Uruha duties.

   [1]: mailto:koganeikaoru@hotmail.com
   [2]: http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Dell/2329/recca/recca.htm



	2. Default Chapter Title

  

**The Curse of Baron Roderick**

**Chapter Two**

**[Bottou-chan][1]**

**[My Page][2]**

  
Author's Note: In this chapter, expect to find details on the ancient family curse! The woman scorned! The grandmother-who's-a-witch! The women who are doomed to suicide or lethal accidents! The legend itself is one big cliche. ;o) 

* * *

"Ah, you you're Neon! We've heard so much about you from your uncle, Baron Roderick," said Bronwyn, a plump, round, elderly woman with a cheerful smile. She had been the cook for Neon's uncle. "It's nice to meet you. And your friends are--?" 

_I sent him a Christmas card every other year, thought Neon, but she smiled with equal warmth. "Meet Joker and Raiha," she said in English, introducing the one, then the other. _

"My, you're lucky to have such handsome men-friends," said Bronwyn admiringly. "We haven't had such lookers here in the last thirty years, I daresay. Peter will fetch your luggage for you—Peter!" 

"Here, ma'am," said a skinny, lanky youth with sandy hair. He looked to be about fifteen or sixteen, and had been standing in the shadows, quietly admiring Neon. 

"Go fetch their luggage. If you'll excuse me, I'll have to get supper on the table, but Caitlyn should be able to show you to your rooms. So you can freshen up from your trip, and unpack. Unless you'd prefer for us to unpack for you?" 

"Oh, we're quite used to taking care of ourselves," said Raiha, politely. 

"I'll help Peter with the luggage," offered Joker helpfully, and disappeared out the door.

"What a kind, thoughtful man!" beamed Bronwyn, not noticing the sweatdrop effect her words had on Neon. 

Sweatdrops didn't exist in Ireland. 

* * *

"The property here is amazing," said Raiha at suppertime. He, Joker, and Neon sat at the table, eating their soup. The staff—Bronwyn, Peter, Caitlyn, Harold, and Keefe—lined against one wall, ready to change out the courses and answer any questions. 

"We've got over a thousand acres of woods back there," said Keefe, somewhat middle-aged, but still vibrant and lively. He was the gamekeeper for the estate. "Baron Roderick used to be really big with the hunting and fishing crowd." 

"Yes, I'd noticed the trophy mounts in the front hall," said Neon, having mentally crossed them off from the list of things-to-keep. They made the manor look like a museum stairwell. 

"Oi, Mr. Keefe—" 

"Just Keefe, please, sir." 

"All right. Keefe, if it isn't too much trouble tomorrow, would you be kind enough to take Raiha and myself out to the lake for a little fishing?" 

"Well, Mr. Odokemono—"

"Oh, call me Hiroji."

Neon snickered, but hid her smile behind her napkin as she daintily patted at her lips. 

"Well, Mr. Hiroji, I'd love to take you out to enjoy the water and the fish. We have some mighty fine fish swimming in there… if you're fortunate enough, you might catch Old Mac. He's the biggest, most cunning old fish you've ever seen." 

"How do you know he exists?" asked Raiha politely. 

"You can see him, swimming just under the water… quite a big one, he is. He's been snagged a few times, but he always manages to break your line, or free himself from your hook. But mostly, he just steals your bait and swims off, laughing." 

"Sounds like a fine plan," said Raiha, nodding his approval. "Neon, what would you care to spend tomorrow doing?" 

"The library looks quite interesting," said Neon. "I might go looking in there, just for an idea of what kind of books my family collected." _And see if I can find any valuable first-editions I wouldn't mind selling off, she added mentally. _

Bronwyn and Caitlyn exchanged a look. "Don't ever go in there at night," warned Caitlyn, suddenly looking much too serious for her nineteen years. She had been Neon's uncle's maid at one time, and Joker mentally redesigned her outfit. At the moment, it was rather like what Mori's household wore. Joker made up his mind that if he ever had a staff of maids working for him, they should dress like maids should—in much shorter skirts, and frillier aprons. Not quite as functional or practical, but more aesthetically pleasing, ne? 

"Why not?" asked Raiha, perfectly aware of what was going on in Joker's mind. He gave Joker a mock-scolding look. Joker stuck his tongue out. In order for Raiha to have read his mind, that meant that Raiha had been thinking along similar lines… 

Caitlyn looked a bit embarrassed. "It's haunted," she explained. "I never, ever dust or vacuum in there at nighttime anymore. The ghost of one of the ladies of the past haunts the library. I saw her once, and it was horribly frightening." 

"Perhaps she can't sleep and wants a good read," suggested Neon practically. 

Bronwyn shook her head vigorously. "I hadn't meant to bring up the subject of The Curse, but perhaps it's best to warn you. The estate is haunted by a number of spirits, all of them female. The women in your family are subject to horrible fates, and they're doomed to roam the property for all eternity." 

"My mother died of pneumonia," said Neon matter-of-factly. "That's not exactly a horrible fate… it just happened. That's life. It all ends somewhere… and then you have new beginnings." 

"Let me rephrase that," said Harold, the butler. "The women in your family who live here have been subject to twists of fate which drive them to suicide," he explained. 

"So what happened to Library Girl?" inquired Raiha curiously. 

"She was the wife of the fifth Baron, and was caught in a compromising situation in the library with her lover, a lordling who was a friend of the Baron's," said Harold. "Because her name and reputation were so tarnished, she decided to take her own life and was found the next morning, having poisoned herself." 

"Oi, Neon, I suppose we'd better stay away from the library for our midnight rendezvous," suggested Joker mischeviously. "If Raiha catches us, I don't want you to feel obliged to give Library Girl your eternal company." 

"Baka," sniffed Neon, lapsing into her Japanese and confusing the staff temporarily. 

"How about the lake?" inquired Raiha, with a mischevious glint in his eye. "Any spirits wandering there?" 

"The daughter of the second Baron," answered Keefe promptly. "She lurks inside the boathouse, and on occasion, will be seen floating above the surface of the lake. Her father had arranged for her to be married to a certain knight, but she was in love with one of the manor's staff. Because of the differences in their stations, their love was doomed from the start. She eventually gave up and threw herself overboard into the water during a boating party one day, and drowned herself." 

"So wouldn't she be seen wading through the water, or swimming under it, instead of walking on top of it?" inquired Joker impishly. 

Keefe shrugged. "She walks on top of it," he answered firmly. "But I only see her at night. Still, during the day, you can hear her moans of torment." His voice dropped to a mysterious whisper. 

"More like the wind through the boathouse cracks," suggested Raiha. 

"Don't dismiss her so lightly," warned Bronwyn. "Spirits don't like to be ignored or made fun of. If you do, bad things will happen to you." She looked concerned. "And you're such a nice bunch, too, I'd hate to see anything bad befall you." 

Joker, Neon, and Raiha exchanged glances. How many of their victims would call them a 'nice bunch'? They grinned at each other, as people sharing secrets do, and then nodded. 

"It would be horrible to make Lake Girl or Library Girl upset with us," said Joker. 

"I feel terrible about having doubted you," agreed Neon. 

"Perhaps we should set up a shrine with memorial tablets and burn incense for them," suggested Raiha solemnly. "What were their Buddhist names?" 

Bronwyn looked annoyed. "Whatever do you mean?" she asked. 

"You live a Shinto, but you die a Buddhist," explained Joker. 

"Sillies… this isn't Japan," scolded Neon. "They do things differently here." She rolled her eyes. She'd expected Raiha, of all people, to know that much. 

"What do they do here?" asked Raiha solemnly, although he already knew. He was merely 'having fun with the locals.' 

"We put flowers at the gravestones and pray for their souls," said Caitlyn dubiously. 

"But would they mind incense?" Raiha's face was a serious mask. 

"I don't _think so," said Caitlyn, awkwardly. _

"I've got some incense in my suitcase," suggested Joker. "Everyone's more than welcome to a few sticks of it, if it will engender happier feelings between the living and the non-living." 

"Whatever were you doing with incense in your suitcase?" asked Neon, bewildered. 

Joker's fangs glinted impishly. "In case if you, away from the strict watch of Kurei, decided to indulge yourself in my presence… I thought it might help set the mood… you know." 

"Oh, my," said Bronwyn, her eyes round and alarmed. "Whatever would your uncle say if you were to do such things!" 

Neon thought about remarking that she had done much worse, but decided against it. "You can have all the incense, Raiha," she said generously. "I can assure you that nothing _he brought could possibly make me want to… er, indulge in his presence." She rolled her eyes towards the ceiling. Whatever had induced her to accept their tagging along? _

However, Harold's bringing in of the main course provided a good distraction as they ooh'ed and ahhh'ed over the roast, making Bronwyn beam with pleasure. The conversation was firmly channeled away from such controversial subjects as ghosts or midnight meetings, and small talk reigned supreme for the rest of the evening.

   [1]: mailto:koganeikaoru@hotmail.com
   [2]: http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Dell/2329/recca/recca.htm



	3. Default Chapter Title

  

**The Curse of Baron Roderick**

**Chapter Three**

**[Bottou-chan][1]**

**[My Page][2]**

  


Clichés to look forward to: The ghostly green lights that disappear when you go to look for them! Da-dum-dummmmm!

* * *

"Sleep well, Miss Neon," said Caitlyn. Even though the Uruha had known where their rooms were, she had insisted upon personally escorting them. 

"Thank you very much," answered Neon politely. "I'll see everyone tomorrow… get some good rest." 

"If you get lonely, Neon, you know where my room is," suggested Joker. "Remember our code… three quick knocks." 

Neon made a face and shut the door. 

She changed into her pajamas and took her time brushing her teeth. The room had a tiny bathroom appended to it…. It looked like it might have been one of her uncle's additions when he had renovated the property. 

The estate itself was quite lovely. Too bad she didn't want to keep it… it would have made a nice vacation getaway. With Kurei's fortune, he could have easily afforded to send her here once or twice a year… but it just wasn't practical. Perhaps, with the money she earned from selling her uncle's estate, she could afford to buy up a tiny island in Japan, and put a nice vacation house on it. She and Kurei could use it for a romantic weekend getaway retreat. Kurei could easily afford to buy seven or eight such things without any noticeable dent in his bank account, but she still liked the idea of being able to give him something. She didn't want to have _nothing when she married him. She disliked the idea of being labeled a gold digger. Being known as an heiress in her own right would take care of that. _

Neon switched off the lights and hopped into bed. Moonlight filtered through the lace curtains at her window, creating eerie, complex patterns on the cold stone floor. It reminded her of her room back at the Uruha mansion…. Funny how this was the same moon she and Kurei had gazed at together on so many evenings. And yet he was now so many thousands of miles away, on the other side of the globe. When evening came to Japan, perhaps he would catch sight of the moon and think about her. Somehow, she felt very small and insignificant all of a sudden. 

She gazed pensively at the window, lost in her thoughts. However, her mind was snapped back into the present when she caught sight of an eerie green glow bobbing outside her window. She slid cautiously out of bed and went over to investigate. However, by the time she had pushed aside the curtains, there was nothing out of the ordinary to be seen. 

She frowned and returned to her bed. She kept her eyes fixed upon the window, not quite sure what to think. It certainly wasn't ghosts. For what seemed to be an eternity, there was nothing. And then—there it was again. That hovering green glow. It dipped and rose gently outside her window, casting spooky lights and shadows through the curtain. Growling under her breath, Neon jumped out of bed and darted to the window again. But the light had extinguished itself by that time—and once more, there was nothing to account for it. She surveyed her view cautiously, but not even the tiniest hint of movement could be seen. Scowling, Neon made her way back to bed. She resumed her staring.

~the next morning~

"Did you sleep well?" inquired Bronwyn at breakfast the next day. Raiha and Joker had nearly finished as Neon entered the dining room. 

"Quite well," she replied cheerfully, helping herself to a sausage roll. "Do you have any milk, please?" 

Bronwyn smiled and bustled off to retrieve the milk. 

Raiha gave her a long look. "You hardly slept at all last night," he murmured softly. "What happened?" 

"Is it that obvious?" she answered in a matching tone. 

Joker shrugged. "_We can tell, because we know what you're like after an all-night stakeout. You can fool everyone else, of course, but not us." He munched contentedly on his grapefruit. _

"Did anything strange happen to you two last night?" Neon asked cautiously. She didn't want to seem so foolish, babbling about strange green lights that weren't really there. 

Joker put his head to the side and thought. "Yeah, now that you mention it… you never gave me a good-night kiss. Raiha did, of course, but you didn't." 

"Look, Joker, I'm serious," said Neon in a soft, stern voice. "Something weird is happening around here—" She broke off as she saw Bronwyn entering with a silver pitcher with milk in it. In a louder voice, she continued, "And I had this strange dream. We were on a bus ride, except you two let the driver leave without me. And I found this really nice man who was willing to drive me to our next stop on this tour we were going on… he was obsessed with trains, for some reason. Seemed like he wanted to create his own line. And I just had the nicest time, talking with him, and--- oh, thank you, Bronwyn." 

"For strong bones and healthy teeth," smiled Bronwyn in her most motherly way. "We have to take care of you, now that your dear Uncle Roderick isn't here." 

_My dear Uncle Roderick never took care of me when he was alive, thought Neon bitterly. __If he was such a loving uncle, why didn't he take me in after my mother's death? So what if I was so far away… he could have afforded it. Aloud, she smiled and said, "We all need to have a purpose in life, h'm?" _

Bronwyn scooped up some dirty dishes to bring back into the kitchen. Neon opened her mouth to resume their conversation, but then caught sight of Peter lurking hesitantly in the doorway. Instead, she smiled at him and said, "Hello… Peter, is it? Come in. I wanted to say thank you very much for helping with our luggage yesterday." 

"Yes, ma'am," said Peter, still staring in awe at her. 

Joker grinned, but refrained from making a teasing comment. There would be time enough for that later. 

"You look worried," said Neon kindly. "What's the matter?" 

Peter's gray eyes widened. "Please, Miss Neon. Bad things will happen if you stay here. You've already invoked _their wrath." _

"_Their wrath?" inquired Neon smoothly. "Whatever do you mean?" _

"I was out last night, fishing," said Peter. "I was walking back to the house, and I saw this green shape hovering outside your window. It's a bad omen. Bad things will happen to you… I want you to be safe!" He looked earnestly at her. 

"Fishing at night?" asked Raiha, sipping his milk. 

"It's the best time to catch some types of fish," explained Peter, seeming to notice Raiha's presence for the first time. He shifted his attention back to Neon. "They're trying to warn you. They won't give you an all-out attack at once. They'll bother you a little bit at first. If you don't appease them, they'll get meaner and meaner… until there's nothing you can do to stop them. Your conversation last night must have really made them angry at you." 

"Don't worry," said Neon, touseling his hair affectionately. She was charmed by his concern for her wellbeing. He closed his eyes and enjoyed her touch. The boy's actions reminded Joker and Raiha of a faithful dog reveling in being scratched behind the ears. "I've had much more dangerous people to have worried about… I'm not about to be frightened by the dead." _If spirits really were out to get me, they'd be the ghosts of my victims, and not of my ancestors, she reasoned. _

"You think we could get a bunch of wards and put them on the doors and windows?" suggested Joker. 

"I don't know… I don't think these are Japanese ghosts," said Raiha. 

"But ghosts are ghosts… they should operate under the same laws, regardless of nationality or religious background," reasoned Joker. 

"But would they be able to read the kanji on the wards?" pressed Raiha, amusement glinting in his eyes, enjoying the banter. Point, counterpoint. 

"Ohhhh… you're doing it again!" Peter looked uncomfortable. "If anything happens, I've warned you… but if something bad happens to Miss Neon, I'll never forgive you two!" 

"Nothing will happen to 'Miss Neon'," said Joker. "You forget, we're her friends. It's our job to protect each other. Too bad I left my you-know-what back in Japan." 

"Me, too," said Raiha, looking uncomfortable. "I wasn't going to even try and get my katana past international security… I've got my Raijin, though." 

"Like you'd use it," sniffed Neon. She missed her Fukyo Waon… it would have been so easy to smuggle past security, had it not been destroyed during the tournament. It would have been so simple to explain… Jisho's knives, however, were not. So she had left them behind, after a great inner debate. It would have been unthinkable, traveling without a madougu at all, and so she had brought along the midareru, a low-level weapon which could temporarily muddle people's thoughts . Still, she wasn't particularly comfortable with it, and its presence was more psychologically reassuring than it was useful. 

"Your you-know-what?" Peter was puzzled. 

"My ghostbusting equipment," explained Joker with all solemnity. 

Peter shook his head sadly. "You're really not taking this seriously enough. I have to get on with my chores before Bronwyn scolds me for slacking off… but think it over! Goodbye!" With that, he gave a short bow, and left the room.

"Cute kid," remarked Joker. "I think he likes you."

   [1]: mailto:koganeikaoru@hotmail.com
   [2]: http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Dell/2329/recca/recca.htm



	4. Default Chapter Title

  

**The Curse of Baron Roderick**

**Chapter Four**

**[Bottou-chan][1]**

**[My Page][2]**

  
Author's Note: In this chapter, Something Has Been Sabotaged! Not to mention... *gasp* Is that thunder and lightning I sense? Do I see a storm brewing? Or is it sheet metal being waved, a hose, and flickering lights? Flickering lights, nothing! You're treated to the power-outage cliche! 

* * *

Joker leaned against the oars. "Good spot?" he asked. 

"Good spot," agreed Raiha. He bent over the hook, affixing his bait to it, then expertly cast it into the water. He slowly reeled it back, making it twitch and wiggle slightly, as thought it were alive. 

"This lake's enormous," said Joker, looking around. "I was imagining a little baby pond… there's a lot of room for fish down there." He reached for some bait to affix to his own hook. "What do you think… we're two hundred yards away from shore?" 

"And we're not even in the middle of the lake yet," agreed Raiha. He glanced at the murky depths which rippled beneath their rowboat. "I certainly wouldn't want to go swimming in _that." _

"I bet you this gets really cold in the wintertime," commented Joker. His hook landed thirty or forty feet away from their boat with a gentle _plop. _

"I bet you this is really cold in the summertime, too," replied Raiha. With an impish grin, he asked, "Shall we send you in there to find out?" 

"Erm, no thanks. Not unless you want to keep me company in there." Joker's fangs glinted in the sunlight. "And I don't think Neon-han or the staff would appreciate it if we came back with no fish, no boat, and looking like drowned kittens." 

"I could spend all day out here," said Raiha, after a short silence, staring up at the clouds. They were white, although the edges were tinted a steely gray. "It's so peaceful… I wonder what Kurei-sama is doing right now." 

"Probably lounging on the couch in his bathrobe and bunny slippers, eating bonbons, watching soap operas," suggested Joker. They shared a quiet snicker at the thought, so as not to frighten the fish.

~in the library~

Neon stared at the suit of armor in the hallway. "Is it real?" she asked, tapping on it, enjoying the hollow sound. For some strange reason, having a suit of armor in the hallway seemed fitting. It was almost like being on a movie set. The light filtering through the high-set windows was rather gray and dismal, and the smell of rain was in the air. The carpet was a rich red, dappled by the shadows of the leaves of the elms outside, as they waved in the pre-storm breeze. The walls were paneled in a dark mahogany, which glowed with handsome reddish tints where the light struck it. Her ancestors gazed solemnly upon her from the heavy portraits which lined the walls. The heads of deer gazed glassy-eyed and mute. It was all so… cliché. And yet, it was poetic and picturesque at the same time. 

She hated the idea of giving all this scenery up. But what other choice did she have? It wasn't like she wanted to stay here forever. There were no memories for her here… these were only things left behind by some dead relation who had nothing to do with her while he was alive. 

Neon made her way into the library, walking around aimlessly, pulling out random books, leafing through them, and then reshelving them. _Alice in Wonderland. __The Wind in the Willows. Some books by P.G. Wodehouse and Leslie Charteris… others by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Robert Louis Stevenson. Classics, many of them. The books themselves, with their ornate leather bindings and gilt pages, were works of art. _

She reshelved a first edition of _Swiss Family Robinson and glanced out the window. The clouds were gathering more quickly than she had thought. Raiha and Joker were out fishing on the lake… surely they had the sense to not be out on the water in this weather._

~at the lake~

Joker picked his foot up and pressed it against the side of the rowboat. Water squelched from his canvas tennis shoe. 

"Oi, looks like the boat isn't sealed as well as it could have been," he commented. 

Raiha was gazing at the sky. "That storm's going to hit us. We'd better go back to the boathouse," he suggested. "If we don't, we'll have more to worry about than wet shoes." 

"I thought Keefe said the storm would bypass us," objected Joker. He checked his watch. "We've only been out here for what, an hour?" He pretended to pout. "I haven't caught anything worth keeping yet." 

"Oars, Joker-san. The oars," said Raiha gently. He reeled in his line, and Joker reluctantly followed suit. 

"Sure you can't use your Raijin to protect us from the lightning?" he inquired hopefully.

Raiha smiled. "Of course I can… but the Raijin isn't an umbrella to keep you from getting wet. If you catch pneumonia and die, how will you ever hope to steal Neon-san away from Kurei-sama?" He grinned mischievously at his friend. 

"Oi, you know I'm only playing. It's so cute when she blushes… it matches her hair," grinned Joker, disassembling his fishing rod and packing it away. "But yes… I guess we'd better call it a day." He picked up the oars and began to row towards the shore. It was rather more difficult this time, as the waves were driving him in the opposite direction. The wind had picked up strength, and it looked like there would be a good-sized storm coming up. Miles and miles away, the clouds were a dark, ominous gray. But even now, a light drizzle of rain began sprinkling on their heads, and Joker began renewing with extra gusto. 

"Oi!" he exclaimed, startled, as one of the oarlocks jarred loose. He almost dropped the oar, but there was nothing he could do to keep the oarlock from plummeting to the lake's murky bottom. 

"That's not good," said Raiha, looking concerned. He glanced up at the sky. With only one oarlock, they would only be able to row in circles. 

"We've still got two oars," said Joker. "Here, lets try and paddle this like a canoe. I'll paddle, and you steer." 

Raiha crawled behind Joker. "It's worth a try."

~in the library~

Neon clasped _Through the Looking Glass to her chest and stared sightlessly out the window. The rain was coming down in hard sheets by now. The tall elms on the side lawn were being lashed mercilessly by the strong gusts of wind. She frowned. _

Raiha and Joker should have been in by now. Wherever could they be? She wished she had a psychic mind-reading device. 

Peter came into the library with a tray of hot cocoa. "Have some," he encouraged her. "If you don't mind us taking the liberty of joining you…?" His voice trailed off into a hopeful question. 

"Feel free. Have Joker and Raiha come back yet?" she asked the boy, accepting the mug from him. 

He shook his head. "Do you think that the ghost at the lake might have targeted them?" he asked, wide-eyed. "They were certainly saying some disrespectful things about her earlier. It would be no wonder if she decided to do something to teach them a lesson." 

"Saying such things!" Neon reprimanded lightly, taking a sip. 

"It's all in the curse," said Peter, shaking his head. "You can't escape curses, no matter how much you try." 

A bolt of lightning struck somewhere close. The electric lights flickered, then went out. 

"Ah, the power's out now," commented Bronwyn, meandering into the study. "I'll get the candlesticks. Peter, go fetch Caitlyn, and see if she can't find some candles. Then go to the woodbox and try to get a fire in the fireplace. Otherwise, it'll get cold. We can't have you catching a cold, now, can we, Miss Neon?" 

Neon hid a small smile. 'Miss Neon'. It reminded her so much of Magensha. Not that she wished to bother herself with his memory… but it did remind her. "That would be very nice," she agreed. "The library's probably the best place for it." The library wasn't the most cheerful of places, even in the daytime. With the blackness of the storm raging outside, and no electricity inside, it was rather on the spooky side. No wonder Caitlyn didn't want to clean in here at nighttime. 

Harold came in, carrying a candelabra with five lit candles. His face was a distorted mask of brilliantly-lit and shadowed patches. It reminded Neon of the time Raiha and Joker had amused themselves with flashlights on a certain camping trip, trying to tell stories to frighten her. She glanced outside the window once more. Where _were those two? They would be insane to be outside in this weather. Heh. They were insane anyways—the both of them—but not even they were partial enough to storms to want to actually be roaming around in this weather. _

"Harold," she said. "Is Keefe with Raiha and Joker?" She tried to keep her voice light, but there was concern in her eyes. 

Harold shook his head. "I don't think so. I believe he set them up with the necessary equipment—fishing tackle, rowboat… that sort of thing. But I believe he had his rounds to make. The foxes have been running quite rampant, and are seriously decimating the pheasants." 

"Keefe's not out in this weather, too, is he?" Neon allowed herself at least the pretense of being worried for him, too. 

"There are several gamekeeping cabins, just for hunting parties and the like," explained Bronwyn, rummaging around and finding several candlesticks. "I'm sure he took shelter in one of those. It will be all right." 

Neon nodded silently. Caitlyn came in with a box of tapers; she and Bronwyn busied themselves with placing them in their holders. A short while later, Peter showed up, juggling a box of matches and several hefty logs for the fire. Neon retrieved the matches from him, proceeding to light the candles. They gave a warm, soft glow to the room which she somehow found comforting. Nothing like candlelight… her thoughts trailed back to Kurei, and a small smile curved on her lips. 

Suddenly, there was a brilliant flash of lightning. Thunder crackled nearby, causing everyone to jump. At almost the same instant, the door to the library was flung open, and there stood Raiha and Joker, shivering and sopping wet.

   [1]: mailto:koganeikaoru@hotmail.com
   [2]: http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Dell/2329/recca/recca.htm



	5. Default Chapter Title

  

**The Curse of Baron Roderick**

**Chapter Five**

**[Bottou-chan][1]**

**[My Page][2]**

  


Author's Note: Clichés to look forward to: The paintings with moving eyes watching you! The curse is explained! The walking suit of armor which is mysteriously empty!

* * *

Bronwyn gave a little stifled shriek and jumped; Neon wasn't quite sure if her friends' disheveled appearance frightened her, or if it was a delayed reaction to the thunder. But she made a beeline towards them. "Why didn't you come in sooner?" she scolded. "I was worried!" 

Raiha smiled ruefully at her. "It takes more than a little water to keep us down," he chided her gently. 

Neon stepped back and took a good look at them. Their clothes and hair were plastered wet; water dripped generously and pooled at their feet; and somehow, mud and seaweed seemed to have attached themselves to their clothes. "Whatever happened to you?" 

"Our boat," explained Joker, picking off a long strand of slimy plant and flicking it to the carpet. Caitlyn gave a soft grumble of disapproval and made a movement to fetch the carpet shampooer, before remembering the electricity was out. "It was a sieve. Not to mention, the oarlocks fell off." 

"Both of them?" Neon's eyes widened. 

"Both of them." Raiha kicked off his slippers, and placed the sodden masses in front of the now-blazing fireplace to dry. 

"That's impossible. Keefe takes good care of the boats, and keeps them in topnotch condition," argued Bronwyn, her eyes flaming in indignation at this slur. "Why, just last week, Caitlyn and I went out in the very same boat to catch fish for dinner. We had no problems at all." 

"It's the ghost. Their revenge has begun!" Peter sounded awed. "I told you not to say suchthings!" 

"At least 'Miss Neon' didn't get hurt, huh?" scowled Joker. "We're going upstairs to find something dry to change into, and then we'll come back down and rejoin you in this cozy little room. But we just wanted to check in and let you guys know we're all right." 

He and Raiha bowed slightly and left for their rooms, their way lit by a candle Raiha had taken from the library. As they passed through the front hall towards the stairs, he caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye, and stopped. 

"Did you see something?" asked Joker curiously. 

Raiha peered at a portrait hanging on the wall. "Sorry. The light's playing tricks on me… it just looked like the person in the painting was watching me." 

"You're getting paranoid in your old age," smiled Joker, lightly dismissing the subject.

~later~

"I don't want to have a repeat of this," said Raiha, very seriously. He was trying to be serious, anyways, but suspected that the staff—all assembled, minus Keefe—was too distracted by the black and scarlet silk kimono robe he was wearing. Either that, or his slippers, which were in the shape of giant gorilla feet. "It was very dangerous. We couldn't even keep up bailing with our bait-can, and it was impossible to steer. We almost capsized a few times, and ended up swimming the last fifty yards to the shore in the middle of the storm. We ended up on the far side of the lake, and had to walk at least twenty minutes to get back to the house." 

"Why didn't you take refuge in the boathouse, sir?" asked Harold. "If you don't mind my saying so—that would have been the obvious choice." 

"We thought about it, but decided that Neon would worry about us if we did," smiled Joker. 

"Just don't catch a cold," sniffed Neon, trying to look indifferent. But she felt touched. 

"Speaking of cold, the water is. Very," said Raiha. By way of explanation, he added to no one in particular, "Joker and I had a little bet going on." 

"Almost too cold to swim," agreed Joker, shuddering at the memory. "Anyhow. What I want to know, what's this curse you keep talking about? Where did it start? What can we expect? Has this sort of thing happened before?" 

"So _now you believe!" crowed Peter. Caitlyn shushed him, and Joker shot him a dirty look. But he refrained from comment. _

"The curse began with the first Baron, Roderick O'Sullivan," said Harold, deciding to tell the story. "Before he was a Baron, he was all set to marry a certain woman. Because of local politics, he ended up marrying another, and obtained his title and land that way. The first woman, whose name is lost to history, was furious. She had loved him dearly, and couldn't bear that she had been set aside for another, solely on the basis of wealth and power." 

"I can see it," suggested Joker, and Raiha shushed him. Neon shot him a dirty look. 

Harold only quirked an eyebrow before continuing. "This rejected woman had a grandmother who was quite old and cunning. A witch, some believed. She complained to her grandmother, and asked for a curse to be laid upon the family, whereby a premature death would befall the women of the Baron's family who lived on the estate. 

"The first Baron's wife accidentally fell one day, into the well. She died, and the old well is haunted. It's currently boarded up… but some say her spirit still haunts the site." 

"You have a haunted well," repeated Joker. "Say, shouldn't someone be making a list?" 

Harold politely ignored him. "The first Baron's daughter, too, died under sad circumstances. She was painting a portrait of her father, seated on a horse. It had come time to paint the horse's picture. Well, the horse was startled by something—" 

"The Ghost of the Lady of the Well?" whispered Joker. 

"—And he reared up, lashing out with his hooves, and ended up killing the poor girl instantaneously. Now, the second Baron's daughter—I told you about her. Not too many years later, the second Baron's wife committed suicide. She hung herself in her own bedroom. It turned out she was pregnant at the time of death." 

"That's not enough to drive her to suicide," objected Neon practically. 

"It wasn't the Baron's," explained Harold. "The Baron had been gone for a year, traveling in France. She was mortified and desperate and didn't know what to do." 

"Except kill herself," smiled Raiha. "Neon-san, the women in your family are certainly given to melodrama." 

"The mysterious thing is… her room is the room Miss Neon is currently sleeping in," said Caitlyn, her voice soft. She checked the hot cocoa pot and saw that it was empty. "I'll get more," she murmured, and left the room. 

"Do you think those green lights I saw might have been related to the second Baron's wife's ghost?" asked Peter curiously. 

"Could be," agreed Bronwyn. "Anything's possible." 

"So, before we get to the other women—do they usually end up playing pranks?" inquired Raiha. 

"Calling that a 'prank'," mumbled Joker, sipping his hot cocoa. He was sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace, warming the soles of his feet. He absently smoothed out the wrinkles in his robe, which matched Raiha's nicely. He wiggled his toes happily. 

Harold nodded. "Sometimes, they'll just wander around the hallways, looking lost, or perhaps reminiscing. You can never tell with spirits. Other times, they'll rearrange little objects—I can leave a candlestick on one table, and the next morning, it will have moved to the mantelpiece. I suppose perhaps that the candlestick, or a similar-looking one, might've originally been placed on the mantel during the spirit's life. On occasion, we'll feel like we're being watched… other times, I'll feel like I have hands on my shoulders. It's rather eerie." He shook his head sadly. 

"What do they want?" asked Joker. "They're not just roaming because they need the exercise." 

"Their lives ended prematurely," explained Bronwyn. "You can't expect them to be content to just be dead. They're perhaps looking for what they were missing in life… for a lost love, for understanding, maybe even for a second chance." 

"For respect," piped up Peter. 

They suddenly heard a shrill scream and the crash of something falling. Raiha, Joker, and Neon leapt to their feet, almost before the scream had fully registered with Peter, Harold, or Bronwyn. They dashed off towards the source. 

Caitlyn stood in the front hall, with the hot cocoa pot lying at her feet. Fortunately, it was empty—otherwise, she and Bronwyn would have had a new set of stains to remove. 

"The armor," she sobbed. "The suit of armor—it was walking—it stopped and it _looked at me!" She pointed a trembling hand to the suit of armor. Indeed, it was not on its usual pedestal. Rather, it was on the opposite side of the hall._

Neon went and knocked on the side. It echoed hollowly. "No one's in it," she said. "Are you sure you saw it move?" She gazed at the younger girl skeptically. 

Caitlyn glared. "I know what a walking suit of armor looks like!" she growled. "Miss Neon," she added, suddenly remembering the respect due to the Baron's heir. "And it walked, and it LOOKED at me!" She broke out into a fresh set of wails. 

Raiha took her by the hand and steered her gently away. "I'll take care of this," he said to Joker and Neon, who were still staring, puzzedly, at the suit of armor. 

How would anyone be able to fake movement? There wasn't enough time for someone to dress up in it, frighten the girl, take it off, and reassemble it. But the thought of ghosts was ludicrous. 

There weren't really ghosts in this mansion.

Were there?

* * *

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   [1]: mailto:koganeikaoru@hotmail.com
   [2]: http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Dell/2329/recca/recca.htm
   [3]: http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Dell/2329/recca/fanfic.htm



	6. Default Chapter Title

  

**The Curse of Baron Roderick**

**Chapter Six**

**[Bottou-chan][1]**

**[My Page][2]**

  


Author's Note:

Clichés to look forward to: The cheesy warning ghostly voice! The mysteriously missing friend! The "Hey, let's split up!" The mysterious reappearance of one of the missing person's possessions!

* * *

"Feeling any better?" Neon looked up from an antique photo album she was paging through as Caitlyn came in. 

"Much better, thank you," said the maid, with a polite curtsey. "I didn't mean to be so hysterical… but it was so frightening!" 

"You should be used to it," reprimanded Harold lightly. "Goodness knows how many peculiar things tend to happen here." 

"Do others know the manor is haunted?" asked Neon nervously. Prime real estate and haunted prime real estate were two different things. 

"We try keeping it in the family," said Bronwyn placidly. "It would be difficult, finding good help to work here, if it was broadcast all over the county." 

"Oi, when does Baron Roderick's lawyer come in, to finalize the paperwork?" inquired Joker. This was only the second day of their two weeks' vacation, but he had a sneaking suspicion it wouldn't be hard to convince Neon for a little side-trip. Say, leave the estate in the capable hands of the lawyers to dispose of, while the three of them went to London or Dublin for a bit of fun. Anything would be preferable to being cooped up in a haunted house with malicious spirits lurking on the premises. 

"Tomorrow, sir," said Harold. Almost as an afterthought, he added, "Provided the storm doesn't wash out the roads." 

Neon's nose wrinkled in distaste. Why couldn't her uncle have paved the roads when he remodeled the house? Instead, she asked, "Where's Raiha?" 

"Didn't he come back here?" Caitlyn looked blank. "We were in the kitchen for about five minutes, and I told him I'd be okay. So he left." 

Neon and Bronwyn exchanged a look. "Mr. Raiha hasn't been back here," said Bronwyn. "Are you sure he said he'd be coming this way?" 

"What would he be doing in the rest of the house? There are no lights," replied Caitlyn practically. "But perhaps he wanted to change clothes or put on some socks or something like that. I don't know." 

"Raiha will be Raiha," replied Neon lightly. "Only Kurei can tell him what to do." 

"Kurei? Who's that?" asked Harold curiously. 

"Our employer," explained Neon, and left it at that.

~an hour later~

"He's not back yet," said Neon, looking uncomfortable. "Something's wrong." 

"Perhaps we should look for him," offered Joker. "Maybe he got lost on the way to the bathroom?" 

Neon didn't dignify it with a reply. "Let's scour the house and see where he's hiding. If he's trying to frighten us, it isn't funny." 

"Shall we split up?" offered Peter. "We can cover more ground that way." 

"Strength in numbers," advised Joker. "I say we stick together, so we know where everyone is at all times." 

"Do you think someone's out to get you?" demanded Peter, a triumphant smirk on his face. "You think the ghosts got Mr. Raiha, don't you!" 

Joker murmured something unpleasant under his breath in Japanese. But Neon nodded. "Split up," she suggested. "There's probably a reasonable explanation for this, and the sooner we find him, the better. And the more ground we can cover in less time, the sooner we can put this stupid incident behind us. Joker, you and I can be a team. Peter, you and Bronwyn can be a team. Caitlyn and Harold can be the third team. Do you have walkie-talkies or any other way of communication?" 

"I believe we have some battery-powered walkie-talkies," agreed Harold. "I use them to speak with Keefe when he's out doing the gardening work. I'll fetch them immediately." 

But Bronwyn was shaking her head. "No," she said. "Why don't I go with you, Miss Neon; and Harold can go with Mr. Hiroji? And then Caitlyn and Peter can be together. After all, we know the house better than anyone else would, seeing as we've worked here all our lives. If you and Mr. Hiroji were on your own, you'd only be wandering aimlessly. If you don't mind my saying so, that is." 

"Good idea," agreed Neon. "I see what you're saying. Very well." She froze, however, when her sharp ears picked up a new sound. It was different from the moaning of the wind outside— it sounded more like a human voice. And then she could identify distinct words: 

"Daughter of my blood… flee from this house! Escape the curse before it's too late!" 

The ominous warning was punctuated by a large painting falling from the far wall with a loud clatter. Everyone in the room jumped; Caitlyn and Bronwyn shrieked. 

"They're out to get you, Miss Neon!" whispered Peter, wide-eyed. "Don't let them!" 

"I can't very well do that," said Neon, her nerves seriously rattled. "I'm sure… there's a reasonable explanation… for this painting… and for us hearing things…" She went over to inspect the painting, but Bronwyn got there first. She hung it back up in its place, an unreadable expression upon her face. 

"I heard the voices, too," said Joker, looking rather uncomfortable. "Why do you suppose they're so angry at Neon?" 

"Part of it's because the curse is catching up with her," said Caitlyn solemnly. "She's in more danger than anyone else at the moment." 

"Then why did Raiha disappear first?" objected Joker. 

Caitlyn merely spread her hands and shook her head. "I don't know. But I think the second part of it—her ancestors are angry with Miss Neon for wanting to sell the property." 

"What else would I do with it?" demanded Neon. "They're not leaving me much of a choice— I can live here and die quickly, or I can sell the property and die even more quickly. And I don't have any relatives or any children, so the house would pass out of my hands anyways." 

Joker opened his mouth. 

"NO." Neon scowled at him. 

Joker clamped his mouth shut. _Am I that predictable? he thought cheerfully to himself._

Harold returned with the walkie-talkies and distributed them. "Check in every five minutes with the others," he suggested. "Just to let people know what part of the house you're in, and that you're well. We'll take the first floor." 

"Miss Neon and I will take care of the second floor," nodded Bronwyn. 

"That leaves the third floor for us," said Peter. He smiled. "No one killed themselves on the third floor, so it should be safe." 

"You forget the maid who fell in love with the fourth Baron Roderick," Caitlyn contradicted him, and his face fell. 

"Oh, yeah. Well… she's not family… so maybe she doesn't count." Peter scuffed his toe against the carpet. 

"What a way to spend our vacation, h'm, Neon?" inquired Joker, smiling amiably. In Japanese, he added, "I wish we'd brought our madougu with us… I'd feel a lot better about it then. You'd be surprised at how many times ghosts turn out to be flesh and blood… especially blood…" 

Neon nodded her head. In English, she replied, "You're right. After we find Raiha, it _would be nice to sit down in the kitchen and have some of those strawberry tarts we had for dessert last night. Mm, those were good. Well, let's get going." _

She opened the library door to take a step out, and almost fell over trying not to crunch an object underfoot. 

"How'd this get here?" she demanded, paling considerably. 

Harold looked at the object she indicated with her toe. 

"That wasn't there when I came in a few minutes ago with the walkie-talkies," said Harold, looking puzzled. Recognition suddenly dawned on him. "Ah, yes! That's the object that Mr. Raiha had suspended from his belt!" 

"Raijin," said Neon, picking it up and cradling it in her hands. "He'd never remove it from his person! Not to mention, leave it lying around like that! Something terrible must've happened!" She tied it to her own belt. Not that she knew the first thing about how to operate it, but its weight was reassuring. 

Her expression hardened into a look of determined resolve. _Raiha, wherever you are… we'll save you._

   [1]: mailto:koganeikaoru@hotmail.com
   [2]: http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Dell/2329/recca/recca.htm



	7. Default Chapter Title

  

**The Curse of Baron Roderick**

**Chapter Seven**

**[Bottou-chan][1]**

**[My Page][2]**

  


Clichés to look forward to: Friends disappearing one-by-one! The secret passages! The mystery solved!

* * *

Neon exchanged a worried look with Bronwyn. 

They hadn't been searching for ten minutes before Peter's frantic voice came over the walkie-talkie. "Caitlyn's disappeared!" he has said, his soft voice sounding terrified. "I'm scared!" 

"I'm sure Caitlyn's there somewhere," said Neon, reassuringly. "Maybe she just went into a different room, and you lost track of her." 

She could almost hear vehemently shaking his head. "No! We were in one of the storage rooms, and there was nowhere to go. I thought I heard someone behind me-- and I turned to look-- and there was no one there-- and I turned back to her-- and she was gone! There was no time! The ghosts got her!" 

Harold had replied to the communication first. "Stay put," he had ordered. "Mr. Hiroji and myself will come up to give you a hand finding her." 

Neon thought it a trifle suspicious that Caitlyn would have disappeared so quickly after Raiha did. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Did Raiha go off and hide somewhere, just so the two of them could have a romantic rendezvous? Well, he certainly could have picked a better way to go about it. This was hardly the time or the place-- a crash of thunder reverberated throughout the house. 

Five minutes later, Harold's voice came over the walkie-talkie once more. "Peter's gone," he said solemnly. "I found his walkie-talkie on the floor… it was crunched underfoot." 

"You guys never had any problems like this before!" exclaimed Neon, upset. This just wasn't right. Maybe it was semi-believable that Raiha just _might have a romantic rendezvous with the maid… but it was anything __but likely that they would involve Peter in any way. She rolled her eyes. "Neon no hentai," she murmured under her breath, and redirected her thoughts elsewhere. _

Plus, why would he crunch his own walkie-talkie? If he was scared, he wouldn't let go of it. If he wanted to go hide, he wouldn't have left his walkie-talkie out in the open to be found. It took a considerable amount of effort to smash one of these little devices... they looked very sturdy. No, Peter's disappearance seemed to be legitimate. So perhaps Raiha and Caitlyn's disappearances were for real, too. 

_So many options! she scowled. "Harold," she said aloud, activating her walkie-talkie. "May I speak with Hiroji?" _

"Oi," he said, his voice scratchy over the wavelength. 

"Joker-san, why don't you come join us down here," she suggested in Japanese. "I don't like the idea of you two being alone up there." 

"Hai," he answered. "I don't like this either… I'll see you in a few." 

"Mm," she acknowledged, pocketing the walkie-talkie. 

But it was not to be. After six minutes of radio silence, Harold's voice came statick-y through. "Mr. Hiroji is missing," he said. 

Neon stared unbelievingly at her walkie-talkie. How could that be? "Why?" she demanded. "He should have been down on our floor by now! Why isn't he?" 

"We heard something," said Harold, his impeccably groomed voice tinged with a note of uncertainty. "The sound of a woman's voice singing… coming from a room which is normally kept locked. It took me a few minutes to find my key… I unlocked the door. There was a shadowy, ghostly figure of a woman, seated at an old piano… the keys were moving by themselves… she turned and looked at us… I hid my face… when I looked again, she was gone. So was Mr. Hiroji." He took a deep breath. "If you don't mind, madam, I'll come join you and Bronwyn, and perhaps we can put together a game plan." 

Neon's fist tightened around the walkie-talkie. How dare they! How dare these ghosts kidnap her friends! So what if they could be annoying… so what if they were crazy. They were partners… they were friends… they were some of the few people in her life who meant anything to her! And now they were gone, dragged goodness-knows-where. She sat disconsolantly on the edge of a bed, trying to collect her thoughts. 

"I'll get some tea for you," said Bronwyn, gazing thoughtfully at Neon. "You sit here in this room, and I'll be back." 

"But what if you disappear on the way to the kitchen," said Neon hesitantly. Not that she cared anything for Bronwyn, but she didn't want to be the only one left in the house. The lawyer would be coming the next day.Less than 24 hours… but even one hour in this horrible place, without her friends' support, would be too long to bear. Would she ever see her Kurei-sama again? How could she face him, telling him that she had lost Joker and Raiha over such a triviality? It should have been so simple, putting her business in order! How did it become so convoluted? 

"I'll escort her to the kitchen," said Harold, appearing in the doorway. 

Both women jumped slightly. 

"That was fast," giggled Neon nervously. Why couldn't Joker have shown up so quickly when he had agreed to meet up with them? 

Harold smiled. "I didn't want to leave you two ladies alone." 

_And yet you're both abandoning me by myself? thought Neon wryly. ****__You__ just didn't want to be alone, that's all… But aloud, she said gratefully, "Well, at least that way, the tea will still be hot when you get back. Thank you for being so kind." _

"Nothing like a spot of tea to calm the nerves and soothe the mind," said Bronwyn practically, and she and the butler left. 

Neon's gaze traveled absently around the room. It took her a few moments before she finally determined that this was indeed her Uncle Roderick's old bedroom. How quaint! The furniture was old but well-kept; the room was cozy, and would have been pleasant if not for the deluge which stormed outside the window. She traced the carvings on the sturdy bedposts with a finger as an impish smile fluttered to her lips. Perhaps she would keep this one… she wondered how much it would cost to ship it to Japan. She had a feeling that her Kurei-sama might find it interesting, too, and she happily amused herself with lemon-tinted thoughts as she wandered aimlessly around the room. 

"Even a bell-pull," she thought, noticing the item suspended over the bed. She'd always read about those in books… even at the Uruha mansion, though, they didn't have such luxuries. She gave it an experimental tug. 

Nothing happened. 

She pulled harder. 

There was a creaking and grinding of machinery from somewhere deep behind a wall. And then— - one of the bookcases pivoted, revealing a secret passage. Stone steps spiraled down. 

"Jinkies!" she murmured in awe. _Where did that come from? she thought bewilderedly, but shifted her focus to this new development instead. _

Neon's curiosity was piqued. It was normal for old houses to have a secret room or passage of some kind. In case the house was attacked for whatever reason, or maybe if the owner merely wished to eavesdrop on important conversation. She forgot all about waiting for Bronwyn and Harold as her curiosity got the better of her, and she stepped through. 

Her foot pressed down on a button, activating the door once more. It swung shut. 

Neon opened and closed the door a few times using the button, before she was satisfied she could escape if the need arose. 

Her way was lit by small electric lamps lining the wall. She stared suspiciously at them. If the electricity was off, and had been off for several hours by now—- why did they work in this stairwell? Were they on an independent generator? She came to the conclusion that this might have been the work of her uncle during his renovation project, and she continued down the stairs. 

If her uncle had known about this passage, it made it a little less frightening. 

Neon turned a corner and heard voices. She froze, her Uruha training getting the better of her. She kept her mouth shut and her eyes and ears open. Though unable to see anyone, due to her position, their words were channeled audibly enough into her ears. 

It was Joker's voice. "Oi, let us out!" he growled, banging on something. 

"Oh, do be quiet." It was a female voice. 

"You're such a baby," scoffed a male voice, and that must have served to irritate Joker more than he knew, for Joker's banging and grumbling ceased. 

"Just cooperate and it will be all right." His voice held an ominous tinge that was anything but reassuring. 

Neon quietly digested these words in her mind, and crept forward a few more paces. She discovered a small room, opening onto the stairwell, and she tested the door. It was unlocked. She slipped inside, and not a moment too soon, for her sharp ears soon picked up the sound of someone treading down the stairs behind her. She held the door ajar so that she could still hear, although her vision was obscured. 

"She's gone," said a curt voice. "Help us find her." 

"You're kidding. Where's there for her to go?" 

"We'll take care of her. Don't worry. She won't be bothering us for long. There aren't many places she could have gone to." 

"Leave Neon out of this—" said Raiha sharply. "You've caused enough damage as it is." 

"You really don't need to be making enemies so enthusiastically," agreed Joker. 

"Oh, I'm sure you'd do well with her company," scoffed a voice. "There's nothing like a woman's touch to make everything so nice and homey." 

"We don't plan on making this our home," responded Raiha promptly. 

"Shall I stay behind and watch over them?" asked a voice. 

"Just to be safe, yes," answered another. "The rest of us will go look." 

Neon held her hands out in front of her to keep from bumping into anything. Her hands touched the cool metal of… her fingers traced over the shape… a vase! Not the best weapon, but it would do in a pinch. 

She waited until the footsteps had retreated away, back up the stairs. Then, Neon counted to fifty before she felt safe in slipping out of her little refuge. A few more turns down the stair… and she could see a figure, with its back to her, doodling on a heavy wooden door with chalk. 

The guard. And it was certainly no ghost. And he certainly had no artistic talent, either—the picture was a badly muddled caricature of Raiha and Joker all tied up. Little speech bubbles came out of their mouths, begging for mercy. 

She raised the vase into the air and silently brought it down upon his head. There was a sickening 'thud' as it connected, and he slumped wordlessly to the floor. 

Neon rolled him over with her foot. 

It was Keefe. 

Keefe? But he had been out checking the fox-traps… she mentally puzzled over this for the few moments it took to undo the keyring from his belt. 

"Joker-san? Raiha-san?" she murmured softly through the door. "I'm here… it's me." A few false tries, then she found the proper key. The two had been tied up rather inexpertly, and both Joker and Raiha had made considerably progress in freeing themselves from their bonds. Neon took care of the remainder within seconds, and then beckoned them to follow her. 

"Come with me," she murmured, and led them off to her little room. 

They knelt down on the floor for a quick conference. 

"Me first," said Raiha in a soft whisper. "I went to go talk to Caitlyn. She made some tea for us; it must've had something in it, because the next thing I knew, I was in that little room you let us out of. I woke up a few minutes after Joker-san was brought in." 

"Right after I got off the walkie-talkie with you, Harold asked if he could borrow it for a few moments. I gave it to him, and turned my back on him to go investigate another room. The next thing I knew, I was hit on the head with something blunt--rather like you did with our little friend back there--and I pretty much crumpled. That guy knows exactly where to hit." Joker rolled his eyes. "I've got a poor little bump on the back of my head… wanna feel it?" 

Neon smiled. Raiha and Joker couldn't see it, due to the unlit nature of the room, but they could sense her fangs showing. 

"So who exactly was involved?" she asked smoothly. "So far, our list says Caitlyn, Keefe, and Harold. The butler did it, h'm? How cliché!" 

"The butler did it with help," corrected Raiha. 

"Peter, too," said Joker with a scowl. "The little snot was rude to me." 

"So, the bottom line is… at least four, maybe five, of them were together in a plot to scare me away from my inheritance," said Neon. "They would make it so that I wouldn't be here for the lawyer's arrival tomorrow. No one else had seen us come in, so no one would have known we'd ever shown up. They might have even produced a letter along the lines of, 'I don't care much for claiming the inheritance, signed, Neon'. They would have inherited everything, divided it among themselves, and lived happily ever after, tra la la." 

"They _have lived here all their lives," agreed Raiha. "They were very upset that a 'snooty little niece Roderick never saw', as they put it, would come and upset their plans. They had assumed that they would get everything, part and parcel. It was quite a shock for them to learn of your existence and your claim." _

"And they would have left us there for a Very Long Time," said Joker. "I don't think they wanted to let us out." 

"What a horrible fate," said Neon, her eyes gleaming. "Now that we know what's what… shall we?" 

"Heh. You never did like playing defense, did you?" remarked Joker, grinning. "But, all right. I believe I saw some weapons in one of the first-floor rooms. Conventional weapons, perhaps… but effective in the hands of trained professionals, ne?" 

"Oh, speaking of which, here's your Raijin," said Neon, handing it over. "I don't suppose you want to use it on these poor idiots?" 

"I'd rather not," said Raiha calmly.

~three days later~

Neon, Raiha, and Joker sat comfortably in the first-class section of the airplane which would take them to London. They had made reservations at a five-star hotel, and had planned the next week full of sightseeing and attractions. 

"It's amazing what people will do for… what, three million pounds?" remarked Raiha, doing the mental math in his head. 

"All five of 'em," agreed Joker. He opened up his complimentary pack of salted peanuts. "But they shouldn't play with fire unless they want to get burnt." 

"Let's talk about something else," said Neon firmly, shuffling a complimentary deck of airline playing cards. "Spades, anyone?" 

"Deal me in," said Raiha. "So, Neon-san, what do you want to do with your inheritance?" 

Neon smiled, dealing out seven cards to each of them. "I'm going to buy a nice little weekend-getaway island with a nice little weekend-getaway house on it," she informed them. "And I'll probably get some new furniture for my room while I'm at it… I'm in the market for a good, solid wood, four-poster bed."

   [1]: mailto:koganeikaoru@hotmail.com
   [2]: http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Dell/2329/recca/recca.htm



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